Develop This: Economic and Community Development Develop This! Podcast

Join Dennis and Develop This! cofounder Jason Hutcheson as they reminisce about the podcast's early days and wax poetic about their personal journeys and what the future holds.

In this episode, Dennis is joined by Mike Neal - President and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. Mike presents a master class on how to build and lead a dynamic team of professionals and how to utilize strategic partnerships to build a world-class organization. 
Mike Neal is in his 18th year as president and chief executive officer of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. In 2018, the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives (OCCE) inducted Mike into their Hall of Fame in recognition of his 30 years of service to the chamber industry. Tulsa People named Mike the 2011 Tulsan of the Year for his limitless energy, can-do optimism and tireless efforts toward making Tulsa a better place. 

Mike is heavily involved with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He serves on its Foundation Board of Directors, its Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, and its Transportation Infrastructure & Logistics Committee. Mike is also the current chairman of their Accrediting Board of Directors. He also serves on the boards of the International Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic Development Council.
Mike leads the Chamber's staff of more than 65 full-time professionals in the areas of economic development, regional tourism, government affairs and community development. The Chamber is a partner in prosperity to more than 2,200 member organizations across an 11-county region.
MISSION
We transform the Tulsa region by attracting and retaining employers, talent, and tourism for long-term prosperity.
VISION
The Tulsa region is a global destination for individual and community prosperity.
WE ARE...
Positive – We exhibit positivity toward our colleagues and a passionate devotion to our community. Innovative – We seek fresh ideas and solutions to lead our region forward. Inclusive – We embrace diversity and foster collaboration. Engaged – We are fully attentive and focused in service to one another, our members and our partners. Accountable – We maintain integrity, strive for excellence, and seek continuous improvement in our work and ourselves. Representing more than 2,150 member organizations and more than 178,000 workers, the Tulsa Regional Chamber is the primary driver of regional and individual prosperity in northeast Oklahoma. The Chamber develops and delivers a wide variety of programs and services designed to bolster and benefit Tulsa-area businesses of all shapes and sizes, from large corporations to small startups. For more than 115 years, the Chamber has served as an integral part of what makes the Tulsa region a great place to live, work and play.
Our strategic initiatives include:
Economic Development
Collaborate with regional partners to position northeast Oklahoma for increased economic activity.
Regional Tourism
Leverage the region's competitive identity to market Tulsa as a destination for tourism, sports, and culture.
Government Affairs
Build coalitions to achieve pro-business public policy at the local, state and federal levels.
Community Development
Create vibrant places that support and enrich quality of life and regional economic activity.
Tulsa's Future is the Chamber's multi-county regional economic development partnership supported by public and private investors. Since 2005, Tulsa's Future has supported the creation of more than 80,000 jobs and more than $6 billion in capital investment.
 

In this episode, Dennis is joined by Suzanne Dale Estey, Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Association. Dennis and Suzanne preview the 2024 IEDC Future Forum and talk all things Washington State.
The 2024 Economic Future Forum will be held in Spokane, Washington, on June 16-18
The 2024 Future Forum will explore 'Transformational Economic Development' and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Expo '74, Spokane's community-changing World Fair mega-event. Discover how Spokane's innovative businesses, events, projects, technologies, and workforce talent have revolutionized communities for the better.
A sample of the Future Forum programs
Unlocking Inclusive Energy Opportunities Community Buy-In, Circular Economy, and Zero Waste Strategies Putting CHIPS Act Dollars to Work Cultural Vibrancy & Creative Entrepreneurship The Community Placemaking Roundtable The Interdisciplinary Think-tank Breaking Down Creative Economy Data AI's Influence on the Modern Workforce Local Libraries as Entrepreneurship Incubators Conservation, Ecotourism, and Rural Prosperity Reactivating Art in Your Community Explore the 'Capital of the Intermountain Northwest,' with a diverse economy serving nearly 2 million people. The area boasts a thriving labor market and is a hub for healthcare, transportation, clean energy, education, and recreation.
Learn how Spokane balances population growth, conservation, and innovative industries while still maintaining a flourishing downtown where more than half of the buildings are on the Historic Register.
Discover how Spokane became the smallest city ever to host the World's Fair and the first to present an environmentally-themed exhibition in 1972.
 

In this episode, Dennis is joined by Mark Perna, who discusses leadership and how to develop your leadership style. 
Leadership - the action of leading a group of people or an organization
           Leadership is only evident when it’s poor
Leadership is not one-size-fits-all
There are many styles of leadership…Example servant leaders
A servant leader shares power, puts the needs of the employees and organization first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people
Golden rule - one should treat others as one would like to be treated
Would you want to work for you?
Be intellectually curious – Read-  Embrace new ideas and challenges Change your leadership style as needed Know what you don’t know – It’s okay that you don’t know everything Find a mentor - Develop a peer group Develop the strength of your convictions  Delegate – Hire good people and get out of their way Personal integrity – What do you do when no one is watching?  Embrace those with other opinions
Team of Rivals Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Be a thetic – Empathetic and Sympathetic  You can be in the same place and have a totally different experience  Laugh at yourself "The knowledge of how little you can do alone teaches you humility." -Eleanor Roosevelt
 

In this episode, Dennis is joined by Kevin Dick, President and Chief Executive Officer Carolina Small Business Development Fund in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area. They discuss the importance of small businesses as part of the ecosystem of a community, region, and state. 
The Carolina Small Business Development Fund is a not-for-profit organization of over 30 dedicated professionals with three focus areas - small business financial capital, small business technical assistance and growth, and policy research/development.
Since 2020, the organization has seen a dramatic increase in loan production and has provided loans, loan modifications, deferred payments, and grants to over 1,200 businesses throughout the State of NC. We have eclipsed the $102M mark in capital deployment dating back to when we began providing loans in 2010 and growing the number from $71M to $102M in three years. We have an outstanding team that is all in on equitable economic development and helping small businesses grow.
WE ARE TORCH BEARERS - Providing small business loans, training, and research to support entrepreneurs.
Our Story
Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit guided by the belief that when small businesses succeed, everyone benefits. When we first opened our doors in 1990 as the North Carolina Minority Support Center, we were providing technical assistance to financial institutions and entrepreneurs, and in our first 20 years of service to our state, we administered millions of dollars in grants to help address the needs of unserved and underserved people and communities.
When the financial crisis of 2008 threatened Main Street firms across our state and nation, our leadership knew that we were in the position to not only double down on our work serving underserved communities, but to expand our services as well. We ushered in a new era for our work in 2011, when we made our first loan to a North Carolina small business, and eventually became a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2013. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic's economic aftershocks, we doubled down once again and expanded our services to ensure that our state's small businesses could succeed, and the communities they serve would benefit.
 Since opening in 1990, we have met entrepreneurs at the crossroads of hardship and opportunity—and we will continue to light the way forward for whatever comes next
 

Denisse Carter - Economic Development Administrator Doña Ana County
Dennis is joined by Denisse Carter - Economic Development Administrator Doña Ana County, a newly minted Certified Economic Developer. Dennis and Denisse discuss the certification process and the benefits of becoming a Certified Economic Developer. 
T The coursework for the CEcD certification program is divided into 2 categories: Core Competency and Elective Competency
You must attend all 4 Core Competency training courses listed below
• Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC)
• Business Retention & Expansion
• Economic Development Credit Analysis
• Real Estate Development & Reuse
You must attend any 2 Elective Competency training courses listed below
• Economic Development Finance Programs
• Economic Development Marketing & Attraction
• Economic Development Strategic Planning
• Entrepreneurial & Small Business Development Strategies
• Foreign Direct Investment & Exporting
• Managing Economic Development Organizations
• Neighborhood Development Strategies
• Technology-Led Economic Development
• Workforce Development Strategies
• Introduction to Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development or Accelerating Growth Through Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development
   Attend CEcD Exam Essentials Workshop
4 Submit the CEcD Exam Application & Fee $610
T The CEcD Exam is made up of 3 sections:
Multiple Choice/Short Answer - The questions come directly from the training manuals for the 4 Core Competency courses and 2 Elective Competency courses, which are chosen by the candidate.
Essay - This section requires the candidate to write responses to prompts related to Business Retention & Expansion, Economic Development Credit Analysis, and Real Estate Development & Reuse. The candidate will also need to select 2 additional prompts and respond to those as they see fit.
Oral Interview - The candidate must pass both the Multiple Choice/Short Answer and Essay sections in order to move on to the Oral Interview. In this section, the candidate will be interviewed by a panel of current CEcDs. If the candidate passes this section, then they will be a newly minted CEcD with IEDC!